Summer Job Ideas for Teens

Even though it has been a long hard winter for many of us, summer will be here before you know it, and teens will be out of school. If you are a teen what are your plans for this summer? Do you have some big vacations planned, or will you be at home, wondering what to do with your free time?

Summer is the perfect time for teens to use their skills to make money.

If you are a teenager, consider figuring out ways to use your time off this summer to find a job or start a small business, to earn some money.

As a teen these days you have so many more options when it comes to making money. You can get a summer job, or do work online, or even start your own small business.

But you stand a much better chance of making money this summer if you start getting organized today.

If you wait until the day after school is out to begin looking, most of the good opportunities will already be snapped up by someone else.

Use these next few months to figure out what you want to do, who you need to speak to, what tools or skills you need, and how much money you want to make. Once you know what you want to do, get the word out by contacting the right people, and begin building new relationships. Here are some different ideas to help teens get started today.

Ways for Teens to Make Money This Summer

Photographer

If you enjoy taking photos and have access to a nice camera you can take pictures and sell them via the stock photo websites.

Setup an account on several stock photo sites.

Next, head out to the park or to the lake and take scenery pictures. Go downtown and take pictures of the buildings.

Landscaping

Do you enjoy working outside during the summer months? If you have access to a lawnmower and a rake you could setup your own small business to mow the lawn, rake the leaves, and keep gardens free of weeds.

Many people do not have time to do this during the summer when they work during the day and want to spend their weekends relaxing. They are happy to pay someone else to mow their lawn every week and look after their gardens.

Begin by approaching friends and then speak to your neighbors too. As a matter of fact, we found a poster on our doorstep this morning from a lawn mowing and gardening business. Yes we still have snow on the ground, but these people understand that they need to contact people now and get new clients signed up for the upcoming summer months.

You could charge your clients between $25 and $35 a week to mow their lawn if they have a small residential yard. Charge more for homeowners with larger front and back yards. Leave their yards clean and beautiful looking and they will start to tell their friends about your services too.

Sell on Etsy

Etsy has grown like wild fire over the years and many people of all ages are earning a nice income by selling a variety of different products. Check out their site and browse through all of the different categories to see if there is one that you could work with.

Interested, but need some help on how to get started on Etsy? Stephanie from SixFiguresUnder.com has graciously turned all of her Etsy experience into a free series of step by step instructions that anyone can use to build and promote their own Etsy store. Click here to check it out.

Create a YouTube Channel

As a teen you can make money by creating a YouTube Channel. Young girls do makeup tutorials or exercise routine videos. They also do fashion tip videos. The videos are monetized via Google Ads.

Perhaps you can find a friend to partner with on this idea.

Fiverr

Fiverr is another way for teens to make money this summer. There are so many different types of gigs you can do. For example, if you live in a popular tourist location you can offer to send people postcards from your location. I know it may sound weird, but people like that stuff.

Create an App

Now that you are out of school for the summer your creative mind is probably overflowing with ideas. Look at apps that you are already using and see if you can come up with an idea for one that has not been created yet. Or find one that doesn’t work the way it should and build a new one that is better.

If you have the talent to come up with ideas, but you lack the knowledge to build an app, look for a person to partner with.

Restaurant Jobs

When I think of teens and summer jobs I think of ice cream shops, sandwich shops, local cafés, food trucks, and more. Other restaurant jobs include dish washer, host and hostess, waiter, waitress, and so on.

Instead of heading to your typical fast food chain, consider small, local shops that may be busier through the summer and need extra help.

Baby Sitter

Parents really struggle in the summer when they have to continue to go to work every day but now their young children are out of school.

If you enjoy babysitting, now, in April, is the time to find a summer job.

Spread the word that you are available. Make up small posters and pass them around your neighborhood.

Ask your parents if any of the people they work with will need a babysitter this summer.

Housekeeper

Depending on your age, you could look at becoming a housekeeper for the summer months. A few regular weekly clients are all you really need to keep you busy and help you make money.

Again, spread the word through your neighborhood, and see if you can put small posters up in local coffee shops, community centres, or at the library.

Pet Sitter

We all know that summer means summer vacations. And people with pets are always looking for someone to take good care of their pets while they are away.

If you love cats and dogs this may be a great summer gig for you.

Depending on your age and whether or not you have access to a car, you could offer several different types of services as a pet sitter.

You could offer to walk people’s dogs, feed and look after their cats while they are away and also look after their house by ensuring it is secure, all plants are watered, and making it look like someone is home.

Errand Business

Are there seniors in your neighborhood that you could use some help? Offer to get groceries for them, wash their car, clean out their basement, and help around the house.

Be Professional

As a teen, whether you find a summer job working for someone else, or you start your own small business, always work hard, be kind and patient, and develop good trusting relationships with all the people you work with.

Comments

Great tips, Sicorra! When I was a teenager I worked in my Dad's office and it was a great experience. Not only did I get to see my Dad in action, I also learned a lot about responsibility and it was nice having my own money to spend too.

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Having a summer job is a great way for teens to learn to manage money, learn valuable skills and not get bored (and not drive their parents nuts).

Thanks for linking to my Etsy series. Starting an Etsy shop would be a great way for teens to start earning money that could continue on into the future. It's nice that you can do it on your on schedule too!

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Great ideas Sicorra. My teen mows the lawn all summer. Saves me time and money because he's less expensive than a lawn service! And he earns money for all those "extras" he wants. A win-win for both of us.

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My first job was at a Denny's. I was a cashier, then a server. It was an amazing experience and I made A LOT of money that summer. I remember applying for dozens of jobs until Denny's took a chance on me. After all, I was a high school dropout. But now, there are so many more opportunities for your people, as you've highlighted. Just be patient and start the search early.

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Mike, that sounds like the perfect job for a teen. Denny's is typically a fast paced environment too which keeps everyone busy and gives teens an opportunity to learn a lot about the restaurant business. And being patient is a great tip too!

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When I was a teenager, I got a job at The Gap, which made me so happy! Fast forward 15 years and it's amazing seeing something like Etsy on your list. It's incredible that in such a short time, there is a whole new way teens (and everyone) can earn a living: online! Great post!

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oooh Never thought to have my teens look at Fiverr ... A youtuble channel sounds cool though, You see how many people are advertised in TV commercials for starting videos online and being discovered! Who knows what talents they can unfold doing that! Great ideas Sicorra!

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These are such great ideas, Sicorra! My little sister is in high school and I'd like her to keep busy instead of lazying around. I'll forward her this article - I think she'll find it very interesting!

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Great post Sicorra! I have 3 teens and a summer job is a great way to keep them from getting bored and earn money for the fun things they enjoy doing on their time off. They can get expensive! lol Great ideas. Thanks for sharing. :)

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